LOH's mini (2013 JCW-GP) adventure
Discussion
LaurasOtherHalf said:
interesting question, but for me yes. i'll explain.....
as a value for money propersition you can look at it one way, a mini jcw spec'd up to the same would be almost as much (though not quite) but would have to do without the big brakes, the "gp mode" quasi-lsd, the coilover suspension, track tyres & wheels & the trick aero.
then there's the fact you won't get this engine until the new jcw is relesed (see the spec sheet on page 1 of this thread-it's very different to the current engine) & from what i hear on the mini forum there are long delays on the standard jcw because of this.
insofar as the GP being very different from the standard car all of the above is by the by, it's worth the premium as i think it's a much better car.
the tricky question is whether you feel it's good value for money full stop when you consider what other hot hatches are going for, & that's before you get into the thorny subject of second-hand.
Thanks. My own thinking was I'm personally comfortable having this over a fully spec'd up JCW, if the driving experience etc is suitably 'improved' so to apeak. I can live without the nav and other nice to have options, it won't be an every day car as such.as a value for money propersition you can look at it one way, a mini jcw spec'd up to the same would be almost as much (though not quite) but would have to do without the big brakes, the "gp mode" quasi-lsd, the coilover suspension, track tyres & wheels & the trick aero.
then there's the fact you won't get this engine until the new jcw is relesed (see the spec sheet on page 1 of this thread-it's very different to the current engine) & from what i hear on the mini forum there are long delays on the standard jcw because of this.
insofar as the GP being very different from the standard car all of the above is by the by, it's worth the premium as i think it's a much better car.
the tricky question is whether you feel it's good value for money full stop when you consider what other hot hatches are going for, & that's before you get into the thorny subject of second-hand.
I would think they'll hold their values quite well, so although a higher outlay, may work out less expensive than a fully spec'd JCW in the long run anyway.
Another perspective for me, is the full price is probably less than the 3 year depreciation on my Porsche GT3, which I may experience for real quite soon !!
I'm sort of hoping it is actually a bit of a 'Mini' GT3 so to speak, sounds like it may not be too far off ??
Sandy59 said:
'Mini' GT3 so to speak
I think that may be pushing it a little bit, but I won't get the car on track until the end of this month so I won't really know until then. To be fair, although I was very impressed with my old megane R.26.r when I first got it, I didn't really gel with it until I got it on track.I still think the lack of bucket seats & harness' will go against the mini in that respect but if it turns out to be a good 'un I'm not against fitting some in the not too distant future.
LOH. Great thread and great car. I always thought it was quite a lot for a MINI but I've mellowed a bit on that as the low potential depreciation alone should help.
When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
nickfrog said:
LOH. Great thread and great car. I always thought it was quite a lot for a MINI but I've mellowed a bit on that as the low potential depreciation alone should help.
When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
only trips booked so far are the DN trackdays the week after easter & then we're going down for the formula 1 in july, i'm sure i'll be out a couple of more times this year but keep an eye on the thread When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
We already know the numbers and the laptimes for that matter but how does it directly compare to the R26.r driving wise?
Congrats on the car btw,these JCWs are growing on me .
I guess a 2nd hand .r is the better choice for a driver focused track ready fwd considering the big price difference but can't comment on the driving myself as obviously never driven the Mini.
Congrats on the car btw,these JCWs are growing on me .
I guess a 2nd hand .r is the better choice for a driver focused track ready fwd considering the big price difference but can't comment on the driving myself as obviously never driven the Mini.
hachiroku said:
Why didn't they fit an LSD? I remember the e-diff rubbish in my fjcw was a real kill joy. I hope they've done something about the high seating position.
this is the most interesting part for me, as i've never trusted the whole electronic lsd thing myself. but, mini specifically wrote a "GP" mode for the software that essentially lets you disable the traction control but leave the braking system to work on a spinning wheel (the press release on page one of this thread explains it better), in other words if the nanny senses a wheel spinning up it applies the abs to the inside wheel but leaves the throttle in.having tried it on road it so far works very well, track will be its final reckoning however...
Hoygo said:
We already know the numbers and the laptimes for that matter but how does it directly compare to the R26.r driving wise?
Congrats on the car btw,these JCWs are growing on me .
I guess a 2nd hand .r is the better choice for a driver focused track ready fwd considering the big price difference but can't comment on the driving myself as obviously never driven the Mini.
i'm not commenting until i've got the mini on track! however i think it's going to stand up better than i expected the more i drive the car Congrats on the car btw,these JCWs are growing on me .
I guess a 2nd hand .r is the better choice for a driver focused track ready fwd considering the big price difference but can't comment on the driving myself as obviously never driven the Mini.
the difference with the r26.r second hand purchase isn't as big as you'd think...
cars that i looked at were pretty high priced (the mint well spec'd cars), i realisticly needed to spend a minimum of £17k to get into one (which is fine-they're worth it imho) but you have to be aware that it is a 3-4 year old renault that is out of warrenty. it's not unknown for engine failures on them & although i never had any problems with my old one when it was new when you read the specialist forums there are many, many issues with them.
that's not to say you don't get the same with a mini mind, but it is covered by a new car warrenty/servicing package.
it also helped the decision that now the old mini GP's are 6 years old, they're still retaining 60% of their original purchase price
LaurasOtherHalf said:
nickfrog said:
LOH. Great thread and great car. I always thought it was quite a lot for a MINI but I've mellowed a bit on that as the low potential depreciation alone should help.
When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
only trips booked so far are the DN trackdays the week after easter & then we're going down for the formula 1 in july, i'm sure i'll be out a couple of more times this year but keep an eye on the thread When do you plan to be at the Ring ? I'll be there on TF days with the 08 MCS on either Thu 9 + Fri 10 May or Thu 30 + Fri 31 May (TBC). It'd be good to meet up if you happened to be there then.
Edited by nickfrog on Sunday 10th February 17:29
You know what I love?
The smell of cooked brakes in the morning & that can mean only two things, a calliper has seized or the track day season has started.
I spent today at oulton park, which means the callipers were fine.
6:25am alarm goes
6:30am dog walked through the woods
7:15am the 3 S's
7:30am set off from oop north to slightly less oop north
Frosty morning, snow on the fells through the lake district but bright & shiny all the way down, today is looking great. Even better is we're travelling down to meet some great mates who we regularly go driving with. Not just anywhere either, together we've done hundreds of laps of the nurburgring, Le mans, spa, Italy etc etc.
Over the years we've been lucky enough to own some amazing cars (GTR, 911s etc) but these days we're going back to basics. As regular followers of the thread will know I wanted to get back into a megane r26.r again, my friend steve already did but due to a lack of good cars out there I didn't manage to get one so I bought the mini GP.
So, with our group owning a Clio cup & steve getting his r26.r this was our first track day altogether. 3 pretty evenly matched cars when you look at it, plus it lets all of us experience each others cars & regret our purchases!
Circuit days organised the day & as always it was the perfect environment to start exploring the car & it's limits. I've been on cheaper track days & I've been on more expensive ones as well but for whatever reason they always seem to have a good bunch of drivers & there's never any problems out on track. Do a track day with a load of clobbers & you'll realise what's bonus that is, but it's really been a while since i seriously did a lot of track days (apart from ring laps) & it was great to get into the atmosphere again.
So what was the car like?
Difficult.
But bloody hell good fun too!
Most important question so far- Is it as good as the megane R26.R?
No, but does it need to be or could it ever be as good? Maybe not actually.
I'll be honest & say i was still learning the car at the end of the day but it was so much fun. So much harder to drive than the megane, it moves around & twitches like no fwd car I've ever owned-it's like something from the 1980/90's- great fun! But at the same time steve in the megane could just ease away over say 3 or 4 laps to get a couple of seconds between us or if I was in front I couldn't get much gap for some breathing space. In fact when steve was behind I twice pushed the car so hard that I ended up using a bit of grass on the exit & anyone who's driven on track with me will tell you I'm not that kind of driver. Much to my disappointment I'm an Alain Prost & not an Ayrton Senna
It was also commented on that whilst following the mini was moving around a lot more than people expected!
In the afternoon I did drive the megane & it was like going back in time (in a good way). The car is so easy to drive fast it beggars belief. I actually didn't remember it being this good. The main thing I noticed from the mini was the longer wheelbase, the car rode oultons bumps without moving off line so much better than the mini, plus it also felt so much softer. Not so soft that it rolled but just much more complient, the mini bounced over imperfections in the tarmac-sliding then gripping as it gained & lost purchase on the track whilst the megane just seemed to flow over everything with the minimum of fuss & no effort at all.
If this sounds like a downer on the mini then I don't mean it like that at all, it's just that the two cars go about how they deliver their amazing performance in very different ways. I loved (& still love) the megane for the way it performs because it made me such a confident driver on track, after some of the best cars out there this car made me bang in laps at the nurburgring that I've yet to beat.
There's no way the mini will do the same, it won't cosset you & let you work up to its limits in your own time. What it will do is make you stiff in the shoulder after a track day as the steering needs a good heft, it will make you heel & toe so's not to loosen the back end & panic you into opposite lock & bloody hell it'll redefine what 6 piston callipers can do on a 1150kg hot hatch!
There's definitely a lot more to come from the car on track. It was so much fun but demanding as well & let's not forget the car is still in totally standard spec- the car hasn't been adjusted in any way yet & the suspension does allow for quite a lot of movement
I just text steve with the r26.r letting him know how much I enjoyed today & he replied it was one of his best track days ever. Now, when I think of all the cars we've had since we met, all the tracks & road race/rally's we've done that's a pretty good endorsement. Today we had the brand new mini GP, a 2009 megane r26.r & a Clio 182 cup, 3 cars that can realistically be bought by most car enthusiasts depending on what budget they set themselves & not one driver would have felt like missing out.
Today's track day was all about getting a feel for the car & making sure it was ready for the year ahead, I think it's going to be a good one. Roll on Easter when we take the cars over to a couple of circuits in Belgium & north west Germany
The smell of cooked brakes in the morning & that can mean only two things, a calliper has seized or the track day season has started.
I spent today at oulton park, which means the callipers were fine.6:25am alarm goes
6:30am dog walked through the woods
7:15am the 3 S's
7:30am set off from oop north to slightly less oop north
Frosty morning, snow on the fells through the lake district but bright & shiny all the way down, today is looking great. Even better is we're travelling down to meet some great mates who we regularly go driving with. Not just anywhere either, together we've done hundreds of laps of the nurburgring, Le mans, spa, Italy etc etc.
Over the years we've been lucky enough to own some amazing cars (GTR, 911s etc) but these days we're going back to basics. As regular followers of the thread will know I wanted to get back into a megane r26.r again, my friend steve already did but due to a lack of good cars out there I didn't manage to get one so I bought the mini GP.
So, with our group owning a Clio cup & steve getting his r26.r this was our first track day altogether. 3 pretty evenly matched cars when you look at it, plus it lets all of us experience each others cars & regret our purchases!
Circuit days organised the day & as always it was the perfect environment to start exploring the car & it's limits. I've been on cheaper track days & I've been on more expensive ones as well but for whatever reason they always seem to have a good bunch of drivers & there's never any problems out on track. Do a track day with a load of clobbers & you'll realise what's bonus that is, but it's really been a while since i seriously did a lot of track days (apart from ring laps) & it was great to get into the atmosphere again.
So what was the car like?
Difficult.
But bloody hell good fun too!
Most important question so far- Is it as good as the megane R26.R?
No, but does it need to be or could it ever be as good? Maybe not actually.
I'll be honest & say i was still learning the car at the end of the day but it was so much fun. So much harder to drive than the megane, it moves around & twitches like no fwd car I've ever owned-it's like something from the 1980/90's- great fun! But at the same time steve in the megane could just ease away over say 3 or 4 laps to get a couple of seconds between us or if I was in front I couldn't get much gap for some breathing space. In fact when steve was behind I twice pushed the car so hard that I ended up using a bit of grass on the exit & anyone who's driven on track with me will tell you I'm not that kind of driver. Much to my disappointment I'm an Alain Prost & not an Ayrton Senna
It was also commented on that whilst following the mini was moving around a lot more than people expected!
In the afternoon I did drive the megane & it was like going back in time (in a good way). The car is so easy to drive fast it beggars belief. I actually didn't remember it being this good. The main thing I noticed from the mini was the longer wheelbase, the car rode oultons bumps without moving off line so much better than the mini, plus it also felt so much softer. Not so soft that it rolled but just much more complient, the mini bounced over imperfections in the tarmac-sliding then gripping as it gained & lost purchase on the track whilst the megane just seemed to flow over everything with the minimum of fuss & no effort at all.
If this sounds like a downer on the mini then I don't mean it like that at all, it's just that the two cars go about how they deliver their amazing performance in very different ways. I loved (& still love) the megane for the way it performs because it made me such a confident driver on track, after some of the best cars out there this car made me bang in laps at the nurburgring that I've yet to beat.
There's no way the mini will do the same, it won't cosset you & let you work up to its limits in your own time. What it will do is make you stiff in the shoulder after a track day as the steering needs a good heft, it will make you heel & toe so's not to loosen the back end & panic you into opposite lock & bloody hell it'll redefine what 6 piston callipers can do on a 1150kg hot hatch!
There's definitely a lot more to come from the car on track. It was so much fun but demanding as well & let's not forget the car is still in totally standard spec- the car hasn't been adjusted in any way yet & the suspension does allow for quite a lot of movement
I just text steve with the r26.r letting him know how much I enjoyed today & he replied it was one of his best track days ever. Now, when I think of all the cars we've had since we met, all the tracks & road race/rally's we've done that's a pretty good endorsement. Today we had the brand new mini GP, a 2009 megane r26.r & a Clio 182 cup, 3 cars that can realistically be bought by most car enthusiasts depending on what budget they set themselves & not one driver would have felt like missing out.
Today's track day was all about getting a feel for the car & making sure it was ready for the year ahead, I think it's going to be a good one. Roll on Easter when we take the cars over to a couple of circuits in Belgium & north west Germany
cheddar said:
Was the Megane running Cup spec tyres?
Yes, both the megane & the Clio were on 888's & the mini was on khumo ecsta's, there wasn't much heat in the khumos mind. They may perform better on a hotter day but although they were tacky to touch I didn't feel they were operating at their best, though I may start playing with pressures to try & find out what's best next time.Petrolhead Tom said:
fun to read. your enthusiasm is infectious. I'd like to recommend you to consider an oil cooler . cooling can be a problem with this type of engine.
first thing I noticed was the car has NO temperature gauges! Not even water. However with the car coming with a 3 year warrenty & brakedown cover I'm prepared to let mini worry about it rather than start modding for now LaurasOtherHalf said:
You know what I love?
The smell of cooked brakes in the morning & that can mean only two things, a calliper has seized or the track day season has started.
I spent today at oulton park, which means the callipers were fine.
6:25am alarm goes
6:30am dog walked through the woods
7:15am the 3 S's
7:30am set off from oop north to slightly less oop north
Frosty morning, snow on the fells through the lake district but bright & shiny all the way down, today is looking great. Even better is we're travelling down to meet some great mates who we regularly go driving with. Not just anywhere either, together we've done hundreds of laps of the nurburgring, Le mans, spa, Italy etc etc.
Over the years we've been lucky enough to own some amazing cars (GTR, 911s etc) but these days we're going back to basics. As regular followers of the thread will know I wanted to get back into a megane r26.r again, my friend steve already did but due to a lack of good cars out there I didn't manage to get one so I bought the mini GP.
So, with our group owning a Clio cup & steve getting his r26.r this was our first track day altogether. 3 pretty evenly matched cars when you look at it, plus it lets all of us experience each others cars & regret our purchases!
Circuit days organised the day & as always it was the perfect environment to start exploring the car & it's limits. I've been on cheaper track days & I've been on more expensive ones as well but for whatever reason they always seem to have a good bunch of drivers & there's never any problems out on track. Do a track day with a load of clobbers & you'll realise what's bonus that is, but it's really been a while since i seriously did a lot of track days (apart from ring laps) & it was great to get into the atmosphere again.
So what was the car like?
Difficult.
But bloody hell good fun too!
Most important question so far- Is it as good as the megane R26.R?
No, but does it need to be or could it ever be as good? Maybe not actually.
I'll be honest & say i was still learning the car at the end of the day but it was so much fun. So much harder to drive than the megane, it moves around & twitches like no fwd car I've ever owned-it's like something from the 1980/90's- great fun! But at the same time steve in the megane could just ease away over say 3 or 4 laps to get a couple of seconds between us or if I was in front I couldn't get much gap for some breathing space. In fact when steve was behind I twice pushed the car so hard that I ended up using a bit of grass on the exit & anyone who's driven on track with me will tell you I'm not that kind of driver. Much to my disappointment I'm an Alain Prost & not an Ayrton Senna
It was also commented on that whilst following the mini was moving around a lot more than people expected!
In the afternoon I did drive the megane & it was like going back in time (in a good way). The car is so easy to drive fast it beggars belief. I actually didn't remember it being this good. The main thing I noticed from the mini was the longer wheelbase, the car rode oultons bumps without moving off line so much better than the mini, plus it also felt so much softer. Not so soft that it rolled but just much more complient, the mini bounced over imperfections in the tarmac-sliding then gripping as it gained & lost purchase on the track whilst the megane just seemed to flow over everything with the minimum of fuss & no effort at all.
If this sounds like a downer on the mini then I don't mean it like that at all, it's just that the two cars go about how they deliver their amazing performance in very different ways. I loved (& still love) the megane for the way it performs because it made me such a confident driver on track, after some of the best cars out there this car made me bang in laps at the nurburgring that I've yet to beat.
There's no way the mini will do the same, it won't cosset you & let you work up to its limits in your own time. What it will do is make you stiff in the shoulder after a track day as the steering needs a good heft, it will make you heel & toe so's not to loosen the back end & panic you into opposite lock & bloody hell it'll redefine what 6 piston callipers can do on a 1150kg hot hatch!
There's definitely a lot more to come from the car on track. It was so much fun but demanding as well & let's not forget the car is still in totally standard spec- the car hasn't been adjusted in any way yet & the suspension does allow for quite a lot of movement
I just text steve with the r26.r letting him know how much I enjoyed today & he replied it was one of his best track days ever. Now, when I think of all the cars we've had since we met, all the tracks & road race/rally's we've done that's a pretty good endorsement. Today we had the brand new mini GP, a 2009 megane r26.r & a Clio 182 cup, 3 cars that can realistically be bought by most car enthusiasts depending on what budget they set themselves & not one driver would have felt like missing out.
Today's track day was all about getting a feel for the car & making sure it was ready for the year ahead, I think it's going to be a good one. Roll on Easter when we take the cars over to a couple of circuits in Belgium & north west Germany
Enjoyed reading that, sounds like a great day was had.The smell of cooked brakes in the morning & that can mean only two things, a calliper has seized or the track day season has started.
I spent today at oulton park, which means the callipers were fine.6:25am alarm goes
6:30am dog walked through the woods
7:15am the 3 S's
7:30am set off from oop north to slightly less oop north
Frosty morning, snow on the fells through the lake district but bright & shiny all the way down, today is looking great. Even better is we're travelling down to meet some great mates who we regularly go driving with. Not just anywhere either, together we've done hundreds of laps of the nurburgring, Le mans, spa, Italy etc etc.
Over the years we've been lucky enough to own some amazing cars (GTR, 911s etc) but these days we're going back to basics. As regular followers of the thread will know I wanted to get back into a megane r26.r again, my friend steve already did but due to a lack of good cars out there I didn't manage to get one so I bought the mini GP.
So, with our group owning a Clio cup & steve getting his r26.r this was our first track day altogether. 3 pretty evenly matched cars when you look at it, plus it lets all of us experience each others cars & regret our purchases!
Circuit days organised the day & as always it was the perfect environment to start exploring the car & it's limits. I've been on cheaper track days & I've been on more expensive ones as well but for whatever reason they always seem to have a good bunch of drivers & there's never any problems out on track. Do a track day with a load of clobbers & you'll realise what's bonus that is, but it's really been a while since i seriously did a lot of track days (apart from ring laps) & it was great to get into the atmosphere again.
So what was the car like?
Difficult.
But bloody hell good fun too!
Most important question so far- Is it as good as the megane R26.R?
No, but does it need to be or could it ever be as good? Maybe not actually.
I'll be honest & say i was still learning the car at the end of the day but it was so much fun. So much harder to drive than the megane, it moves around & twitches like no fwd car I've ever owned-it's like something from the 1980/90's- great fun! But at the same time steve in the megane could just ease away over say 3 or 4 laps to get a couple of seconds between us or if I was in front I couldn't get much gap for some breathing space. In fact when steve was behind I twice pushed the car so hard that I ended up using a bit of grass on the exit & anyone who's driven on track with me will tell you I'm not that kind of driver. Much to my disappointment I'm an Alain Prost & not an Ayrton Senna
It was also commented on that whilst following the mini was moving around a lot more than people expected!
In the afternoon I did drive the megane & it was like going back in time (in a good way). The car is so easy to drive fast it beggars belief. I actually didn't remember it being this good. The main thing I noticed from the mini was the longer wheelbase, the car rode oultons bumps without moving off line so much better than the mini, plus it also felt so much softer. Not so soft that it rolled but just much more complient, the mini bounced over imperfections in the tarmac-sliding then gripping as it gained & lost purchase on the track whilst the megane just seemed to flow over everything with the minimum of fuss & no effort at all.
If this sounds like a downer on the mini then I don't mean it like that at all, it's just that the two cars go about how they deliver their amazing performance in very different ways. I loved (& still love) the megane for the way it performs because it made me such a confident driver on track, after some of the best cars out there this car made me bang in laps at the nurburgring that I've yet to beat.
There's no way the mini will do the same, it won't cosset you & let you work up to its limits in your own time. What it will do is make you stiff in the shoulder after a track day as the steering needs a good heft, it will make you heel & toe so's not to loosen the back end & panic you into opposite lock & bloody hell it'll redefine what 6 piston callipers can do on a 1150kg hot hatch!
There's definitely a lot more to come from the car on track. It was so much fun but demanding as well & let's not forget the car is still in totally standard spec- the car hasn't been adjusted in any way yet & the suspension does allow for quite a lot of movement
I just text steve with the r26.r letting him know how much I enjoyed today & he replied it was one of his best track days ever. Now, when I think of all the cars we've had since we met, all the tracks & road race/rally's we've done that's a pretty good endorsement. Today we had the brand new mini GP, a 2009 megane r26.r & a Clio 182 cup, 3 cars that can realistically be bought by most car enthusiasts depending on what budget they set themselves & not one driver would have felt like missing out.
Today's track day was all about getting a feel for the car & making sure it was ready for the year ahead, I think it's going to be a good one. Roll on Easter when we take the cars over to a couple of circuits in Belgium & north west Germany
Following with interest.
EVO track battle video for LOH and his hoony mates, with surprising results:
Lap times:
MINI GP 1.08.7
Megane R26R 1.08.9
Focus RS 500 1.09.4
Audi A1 Quattro 1.11.2
Vid:
http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/planetevovideos/288370...
Lap times:
MINI GP 1.08.7
Megane R26R 1.08.9
Focus RS 500 1.09.4
Audi A1 Quattro 1.11.2
Vid:
http://www.evo.co.uk/videos/planetevovideos/288370...
As pointed out by another PH'r here's a nice couple of videos & a track test by an Irish motoring website;
http://www.rev.ie/mini-jcw-gp-sets-the-pace/
Their track laps are obviously done at mondello park & the GP sets an smiling time-almost 2 seconds a lap better than the megane.
http://www.rev.ie/mini-jcw-gp-sets-the-pace/
Their track laps are obviously done at mondello park & the GP sets an smiling time-almost 2 seconds a lap better than the megane.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff